


Looks Like We Made It

by SerenaJones



Series: Enter The Vault [6]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26017750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenaJones/pseuds/SerenaJones
Summary: Seto and Jou left each other on the way to another love. At least, until today they did.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Enter The Vault [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088705
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	Looks Like We Made It

**Author's Note:**

> For the purpose of this story, Otogi Ryuji was involved with the DM saga. Duke Devlin, however, is his American cousin who was uninvolved with those events.

Joy laughed loudly, a few stray black hairs slipping from her bun as she did. 

It’s my event, Seto thought, but she is clearly having more fun.

He had to smile. That was probably true of their entire lives together. Fun came naturally to his outgoing wife. Even her name was joyful. She was fun and open and so many things he wasn’t. It was a wonder she fell in love with him. Falling in love with her was as easy as watching the sun shine.

Joy looked up from her conversation and their eyes met. She grinned at him and blushed. He grinned back. Then, she seemed to have a thought and lifted her wrist. Time to go, he guessed, and shook his head. She bowed slightly, and mimed a kiss. Then she went back to her conversation.

I am really quite lucky, Seto thought.

A passing waiter offered a tray of wine glasses and Seto reached for one at the same time the man behind him did.

“Pardon me, I -”

“Sorry, dude, my -”

They both stopped. The waiter prompted them, and they both took a glass, but their eyes never left each other.

They stood in silence as the room, the world, and fifteen years fell away.

“...oh...wow….” Joey finally managed.

Seto nodded. “Wow.”

They had not been friends in high school. In fact, Seto had tried to avoid the obtrusive half American classmate, even as circumstances and the unnamed Pharaoh brought them together.

But in their first semester of college, fate brought them together again as their two different clubs met for an unscheduled party. That evening, a few drinks and one honest conversation led to a four year romance.

That ended. Joey went to America. Japan seemed colder. Six years later, Seto met Joy and realized that the warmth he was missing was love. He missed Joey’s love.

“Seto?”

He actually jumped as his wife’s voice brought him back to the present. “Darling! Yes. Yes, you need something?”

“Are you alright?” She looked genuinely concerned. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“He kinda has,” Joey laughed softly. “I’ve been gone awhile.”

“Oh?” Seto saw the flash of annoyance cross Joy’s face as she turned to the other man. “I’m sorry; I don’t believe we’ve met. You are?”

Sunlight and warmth if she liked you. She was a holy terror when she didn’t.

“Kat Wheeler.”

“The voice actor?”

“Yeah.” Joey grinned. “That’s why most people know me.”

“Is that why my husband knows you, Mr. Wheeler?”

“No -” A dozen expressions warred on Joey’s face. “Husband! Husband?” He looked at Seto, agonized. “You got married? To a -”

“That’s right,” Seto cut him off. “You’ve been away for quite some time. This is my wife, Kaiba Joy. We’ve been together for almost five years now. Darling, Jounouchi is a…” he paused and caught Joey’s eyes, “a friend? Are we still that?”

Joey’s expression softened, warmed. “We will always be friends.”

“I see.” Seto felt his eyes water and blinked it away. “He is a very old and very dear friend.”

Joy looked at Seto. “A friend. Is that your definition of ‘friend’ or mine?”

Seto smiled. “That would be yours -”

“’Cause he doesn’t know what that word means,” Joey finished, snickering. “Closest he gets is ‘people I don’t hate’ or ‘people who might have value’.”

“Huh. He does know you,” she jibbed. She turned to face Joey properly and bowed. “I am honored to meet you, Mr. Wheeler.”

“Joey. Please. ‘Wheeler’ is kinda my stage name. People who really know me call me Joey.”

“Then you should call me Joy. I hope I get to really know you.”

“Yeah, me too. Hey, how’s Mokie?”

“Mokie?” Joy looked confused.

“Mokuba,” Seto clarified. “Jounouchi has the oddest way with names.”

“That and the kid would have punched anybody who called him ‘chan’,” Joey laughed.

“True. My brother is well. He is also married. Two sons and a third on the way. How is your sister? And your mother?”

“Mom’s good. She’s back in Okinawa now, dating another US army guy. Serenity married a college professor in California. She has six boys. Three sets of twins!”

“Oh my!” Joy laughed.

“How about you two? Kids?”

“Oh,” Joy’s laughter faded, but she still smiled. “We haven’t really thought about -”

“We have been trying for several years,” Seto spoke over her, “but I have been unable to impregnate Joy.”

“Seto!”

“It is my failing, you understand. I underperform.”

“Dude!” Joey laughed uncomfortably. “TMI! What happened to TPO?”

“Joy,” Seto turned his wife to him. “Forgive me if I have embarrassed you. I promised Jounouchi that I would never tell him anything but the unvarnished truth.”

“You can varnish, dude. A little varnish never hurt anyone.”

“I will bear that in mind.”

“Well, if we’re going to be honest, then I want to go somewhere I don’t have to be polite. Seto, why don’t we go home. We can all get comfortable and Joey can tell me how you actually met instead of the vague mysteries you always tell me.” She turned to Joey. “Has he always been evasive and taciturn, or is that just an act for my benefit?”

Joey laughed. “It’s both! He has to keep secrets so that it always looks like he knows more than anyone else. I caught him out once and the look on his face was priceless!”

Joy looked between the two men. “You caught Seto off-guard.”

“I have no recollection of such an event,” Seto sipped his wine. “Jounouchi is prone to exaggeration.”

“Oh now I know it’s true!”

“Siding against me?”

“Your ‘recollection’ only fails when you’re embarrassed.” She hugged his arm quickly. “I’m going to powder my nose. Do you want to stay here? Was there anyone else you needed to see?”

Seto smiled at her. “Frankly, I could have left five minutes after we got here. But what is the point of a social butterfly if you never let it into the garden.”

She grinned. “I don’t need a garden. I have a very pretty weed.” She touched his arm affectionately then headed off.

“Damn. I think she actually loves you.”

“Yes. It surprises me every time I realize it as well.”

“Do you love her?”

Seto hesitated. Then he looked at Joey. “So, what brings you back to Japan?”

The actor paused, sighed and let the subject be changed. “New project. Netflix is throwing a lot of money at some new animes. Trying a couple new tricks. Since I’m bilingual, they want me to voice my characters in both the Japanese and the English versions.”

“Is that unusual?”

“Pretty much. Most people have an accent that jacks up one of the languages, but I’m bilingual from birth, so I’m a native speaker of both. I think they’re trying to get a whole team of native bilinguals.”

“I hope it’s worth the cost.”

Joey grinned. “Yeah. I’m expensive.”

“You’re trouble,” a new voice said. “First you ditch me, then I find you flirting with a local.”

They both turned to the speaker.

“I told you I was gonna mingle,” Joey shrugged and finished his wine. “Duke, this is a friend of mine from high school. Duke, Kaiba. Kaiba, Duke.”

“Honored.” Seto nodded.

“Are you the school boyfriend I’ve heard so much about?”

“I would doubt it. In high school, I was not romantically inclined.”

“Duke, give it a rest. I haven’t banged every guy I’ve met.”

“Not anymore.” Duke slipped his arm possessively around Joey’s waist. “Let’s go check out the buffet.”

“Hello!” Joy returned, adjusting her shawl. “They’re bringing the car around front, Seto. Are we four? I’m Joy.” She offered Duke her hand.

“I’m Duke.” He shook. “Are we four for what? I thought these two were going to slip up to our room.”

She laughed. “We three were going to slip back to our house, but Joey didn’t tell me we were four. Are you an old friend or a new friend?”

“Hmm. Not sure, but I’m thinking new.”

“Good! Then I won’t be the only one lost when these two wander down memory lane. You, Mr. Wheeler, are just as cagey as your alter ego. Is there anyone else joining us? No ditching friends, companions, or others.”

“Oh, so you watch Blue Thunder,” Joey chuckled.

“I do.”

“I’m not that bad, really.”

“He’s worse,” Duke countered. “At least Miyake is sneaky for the team’s benefit. This one is likely just off to,” he used air quotes, “go play.”

“Is that what you two used to do in high school?” She gave her husband an arched look.

“I am wounded that you would even ask.”

“You take that one,” she told Duke, “and I’ll take this one. We’ll drag the truth out of them over a late supper.”

xoxoxoxox

Once the limo pulled into traffic, Joy looked at the three men. "I am officially tired of being proper." She slipped her feet out of her heels and pulled a pair of ballet flats out of a hidden storage space. She pulled a few pins from her hair.

And removed her wig. Under, she had pixie cut blond hair.

She scratched her head vigorously. "Sorry, gentlemen. I know that was crass, but I don't think I could have gone another minute. That one itches, but it's so elegant."

"I don't know why you wore it," Duke commented. "Your natural cut is adorable."

"Thank you!" She smiled warmly at him, then huffed. "I go black for anything KaibaCorp related and formal. The ojiisans still give him grief for marrying an American, so I try not to rub it in."

"You're American?" he asked.

"No." She grinned. "My mother is. But the fact that I am Japanese, and was raised here has never stopped the Board from acting like Seto married satan."

"And you let them treat her like that?" Joey glared at Seto.

"I told the Board I would marry an Australian Blobfish if I so chose, and if they disliked it, they could resign. She is the one who decided to pander to those xenophobia, geriatric farts."

Joey snickered. Seto struggled not to grin.

"What?" Joy looked back and forth between them. "What just happened?"

"Nothin'," Joey said, leaning back and smirking. "I've just never heard him use the word 'fart' before. Kinda low brow for a guy as classy as him."

"Him? Classy?" Joy laughed brightly. "Oh, so you only know the public Seto. This is the man who still puts catsup on his eggs."

"Gross," Duke groaned as Joey almost choked laughing.

"You are forbidden saying another word, young lady." Seto sounded harsh but his expression was amused. "I remind you that you have secrets as well."

She rolled her eyes and waved as dismissal. "Guess how he pours it."

"He draws a dragon, right?" Joey grinned. "He says it's a blue eyes, but the snout is square and it has horns, right?"

She blinked. "Right! That's it exactly! So you've seen him? Mokuba didn't believe me."

"I believe you," he chuckled. "I know another guy who used to do something like that."

"Ah."

"So what else does he do?" Duke wheedled. "I love all the secrets of the rrrich and famous!"

Joy gasped. "Duke Devlin, Blue Thunder's Dark Ranger!"

"What gave it away?" he smirked."

"Rrrich and famous!" Joey mimicked. "You always roll that 'r' way too much."

"You're just jealous. My fans yell 'rrrich and famous' when I walk into the building."

"Seto bought me a Dark Ranger jacket for our first anniversary!"

"Dude! Seriously?" Joey kicked Seto's foot, chuckling. "Cheapskate."

"I gave it to her while cruising to a private island for a week-long vacation. And I gave her sole ownership of the Blue Thunder game rights."

"Oh, I forgot about those." She looked at him fondly.

"I assure you, your bank account has not."

The trip to Kaiba manor was jovial. Joy stopped Seto when he would have called their chef, and made miso and onigiri herself. They all sat in the kitchen, chatted while she worked.

"What are you doing," Seto asked her when she began rolling rice around some leftovers they found in the fridge.

"Making rice balls," she replied, confused.

"Making rice cubes," he tsked. He rolled up his sleeves and wet his hands.

"Mr picky, can't leave anything alone," Joey snarked.

"Traditional onigiri have a simple shape that makes them easy to eat one handed." He rolled and pressed a little and produced a perfect triangle. "Voila. Where is the nori?"

"I don't like nori," Joy pouted.

"It's traditional," Seto countered.

"Here," Joey handed him the container of seaweed sheets.

"Ah." Seto took them, and proceeded to tear one to strips and wrap the balls neatly. "There."

Duke looked at Joey. "You know his pantry layout, Kat?"

Joey shrugged. "Lucky guess."

"Huh."

"Duke," Joy pulled his attention, "I made chicken, and salmon, and I have enough rice left for one more set. Eggplant or beef?"

"I only eat beef," Duke smirked. "I'm not into veggies. Or fish."

"My!" She fluttered her eyelashes. "Are we still discussing the kitchen?"

"Yes," Joey said, nudging Duke with his shoulder. "Beef balls sound good. Oh, man! I did not just say that!"

"I will remind you two savages that a lady is present," Seto admonished, chuckling.

"What?" Joy said with exaggerated innocence. "I like beef balls. They're tender and juicy."

"I like them when they're a little salty," Duke added.

"Oh, but not too salty."

"Warm, not hot. And not cold."

"Ugh! Cold beef balls!"

"Enough," Seto laughed. "Eat!" He put two bowls of soup on the table. "Stop misbehaving, mutt."

"Hey," Joey started, "I wasn't -"

Joy laughed and put her arms around Seto. "You purebreds could learn a thing or two from us mutts!" She kissed his chin. "Sit. Sake?"

"Yes."

She let him go and put the platter of onigiri on the table. Then she left the kitchen. Seto got two more bowls of soup and sat beside Duke. He did not look at Joey as he began eating.

Joy returned with a bottle and four glasses. "So." She poured the wine and sat down to eat. "How long has my favorite anti-hero been dating my favorite villain? How did you meet? When do I get cast autographs?"

"Actually, we met while taping 'Fallacy in February' two years ago." Duke said. "We didn't start seeing each other until recently."

"Fallacy in February," she sighed. "I cry every time I watch that. Natsuke breaks my heart every time."

"That's very kind of you to say," Duke replied in a soft character voice.

Joy squealed. "Oooh goosebumps! Do Waylo from Waylo's Big Adventure - Seto loves that one!"

"This is your hobby. Don't implicate me."

"He has the entire series downloaded," she confided.

Joey and Duke grinned at each other, then acted out a scene from the series.

"A thousand holes," Seto corrected Joey. "I shouldn't know your dialogue better than you do."

"Figures you'd know the threats," Joey scoffed. "A hundred, a thousand, doesn't matter. Waylo never gets hit no matter how many bullets."

"Episode 16." Seto bit into a rice ball. "There's a distinct red line on the shoulder of his yellow jacket. And in episode 28, when Chunlin is going through Waylo's belongings, she shows the yellow jacket, and you can see the torn shoulder."

"Nerd alert," Joey cackled. "Otaku!"

"I happen to remember one detail."

"Right!"

"It's a series about gun runners. The author alleges that all the heists were taken from actual crimes. Watching it was research."

"Bullshit, moneybags."

"Idiot," Seto snarled.

"Peacock," Joey spat.

"Mutt," Seto sneered.

"OK!" Joy popped up. "Let's just put everything in the sink tonight. The staff will get it in the morning." She began clearing the table.

Seto and Joey both took stock of how closely they had leaned toward each other. Joey leaned back, away. Seto got up and helped his wife with the dishes.

"It is getting rather late," he remarked.

"Oh, they can just stay in the guest room," Joy replied. Then she froze. "That is - if that's ok. If you don't want -"

Seto laughed warmly. "Darling, Jounouchi and I have rarely gone five minutes without fighting. That we have spent five hours and no blood was shed is undoubtedly a record."

"Yeah, the truth is, we weren't exactly friends in high school."

"You seemed very friendly to me," Duke drawled.

"Yeah, ok," Joey huffed, "on that note, I think we'd better -"

"Joy's right. It's late, and we have guest rooms. You are welcome to stay."

"We have to be at the studio early tomorrow." Duke stood up. "But we should definitely get together again soon."

"Well, we brought you here." Joy pulled out her phone and began typing. "There. A driver will be here in five minutes. What's your number?"

Duke hesitated a moment, then pulled out his phone and exchanged contacts.

"Let's do something this weekend," she said brightly.

xoxoxoxox

Seto reread the memo he'd just typed. He changed a few words to make the memo more 'reader friendly'. He made a pair of edits to be more specific. He removed a phrase he learned from Joey and replaced it with something more business appropriate.

He sighed heavily. Joey had been popping up on his desk all morning. In memos, in the coffee mug he still used, in the customized MSOffice icons that Joey helped him design. In phrases like 'Geriatric farts' to describe the Board.

In memories. Early morning study session to keep Joey's grades up. Dates at all the cliche locations - movies, amusement parks, baseball games. Late night passion in the corporate offices when Seto was working until all hours.

They had forced each other out of their respective comfort zones and challenged their personal boundaries. Joey learned to be more formal, Seto learned to be more casual. Seto still wore the jeans Joey gave him. He wondered if Joey still had that navy suit.

"Knock, knock," Joy called out, tapping on his door. "Are you busy?"

"Always." But he got up and came around the desk.

She met him halfway with a kiss on his cheek. "I had to come down town, so I thought I'd see what time you were leaving. I'll go somewhere to wait and ride home with you."

"I wouldn't want you to waste your time waiting for me."

"I like going home with you. I like seeing you even one minute early."

Joey did, too. 

"Something wrong?" she asked.

Everything. He looked at his wife. How had he not noticed how much like Joey she looked? She was shorter, and more slender, but had the same golden hair and the same honey brown eyes.

"What is wrong," he said instead, "is that I don't want to be here."

"Oh? Since when?"

"Since now." He went back to his desk and saved his memo. With a few clicks, he emailed it, and then shut down his computer.

He picked up his desk phone. "Fuguta, I am leaving for the day. Critical issues only. Everything else can wait until tomorrow." He hung up and smiled at Joy. "Early dinner at Chez Pierre?"

"How about early dinner at Chez Kaiba?"

"You never take me out any more. One would think you don't want to be seen in public with me."

"Well," she appraised him as he opened the door. "It's true. You aren't the slender reed I married." He pinched her rear as she passed him. "Stop that!"

"When we first met, there wasn't an ounce of padding anywhere to be seen." They made their way to the elevator. "Now you have quite the cushion."

"My figure has matured."

"Oh, is that your excuse?"

"Yes." The doors opened. She pushed the lobby floor, then studied her husband. "Hmmm. I guess you don't look too bad - for an old man."

"Old? I'm not even forty."

"That's plenty old to me," she laughed. "I'm not even thirty!"

"Excuse me," a man beside them spoke up. They hadn't even noticed him get on. "I know this sounds crazy, miss, but would you say, 'captain, we have a situation'?" His accent sounded American, and he was holding up a phone.

Joy and Seto exchanged a look. "Why?" she asked.

"Because I'm pretty sure you're perfect, but the director wants to hear it."

"Perfect for what?" Seto asked.

"A part in an anime we're taping next week."

"Oh, but I'm not a voice actor!"

"I know, I know. Just... please?"

Joy laughed and shrugged. "Captain, we have a situation," she said to the phone.

"You hear it?" the man said to the call. "That lilt? Yeah, uh-huh. The elevator." He reached out and hit the next floor button. "I'll see." He looked at Joy. "Can you come up and tape a demo? Five minutes. Nothing hard. Just please. We've been looking for a month. Do you speak English?" The elevator stopped and he pulled her off. "Jerry? We're on our way back."

Seto removed the man's hand from his wife's arm. "Darling, is this something you are interested in, or shall I have security remove this cur from the building?"

"Oww!"

"Seto! If it's in the building, we should at least find out what it is. It's a KaibaCorp thing at the very least."

"True." He released the man's hand. "Very well. Who do you work for?"

"I'm Marcus Timbor. I'm with Netflix." He rubbed his hand, looking for bruises.

Seto pushed the elevator button. "We have only one co-branding project with Netflix. One of Mokuba's projects."

The ride up was silent, but quick. The director met them at the doors, and nearly fell back.

"Kaiba-shachou! Sir, I wasn't expecting -" he nearly choked. "Kaiba-sama? The voice, the woman you found is Kaiba-sama?!"

"Yes," Seto replied. "And now that she is here, we would like to know what was so urgent it was worth delaying our plans."

"Seto," Joy admonished gently. "They didn't know and we didn't tell them. And I'm dying to see what the project is."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you that until you're attached to it."

"Can I still read for it even though I'm the boss' wife?"

"Sure! I mean, if it's ok with you, sir."

Joy squealed, and Seto laughed. "You act as if I have any say in the matter."

"What do I do?" Joy asked the director excitedly.

It was closer to half an hour before they finished recording Joy reading several pages of dialogue.

Afterward, they went to a nearby French restaurant, and Joy bubbled happily about the experience. Seto was more practical.

"I spoke with Netflix briefly. You are not a Union performer, so they will pay you at a lower rate."

"Oh I don't care about that!" She laughed, "it's not as if I'll really get the part. They just let me read because you were there. It was fun."

"If you want to do this, I can call them and -"

"No! No calls. I had my fun. Anyway, I hate my voice on recordings. I sound like a pixie."

"You sound like sunlight, if it had a voice."

"So sweet." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. 

xoxoxoxox

"...Laurana, the wife of the general!" Joy gushed. "In the first half of the series, she's just his silly girlfriend. But the general gets injured, and she has to take over the army. She has this amazing transformation!"

"So I gather it's an important part."

"She is later on, but this is mostly the first story arc. But she's a fan favorite. I love her in the book. Oh! Do I have a contract with KaibaCorp? Marcus said I need to make sure my employment contracts don't conflict."

"Oh, so I am paying you to do this little show of yours."

"Yes, you are. I am now a working woman. Again."

"We'll see how long this lasts."

"I loved that bookstore! The only reason I quit is because you made a fuss every time I had a weekend shift."

"You were spending my time with them."

"Yes, dear," she smiled warmly. "That's why I came home."

"Well," he sighed heavily. "At least you'll only be downstairs."

"We can have lunch together everyday. And we can come to work and go home together."

"You'll be tired of me by the end of day one. The secret to getting along with me is not spending too much time in my presence."

"That's the best part! If you didn't hate clingy people, I would stick to you 24/7. Oh! I almost forgot." She leaned forward, across the table, to whisper. "The cast hasn't been made public yet, so it's a secret. But Duke was cast as Strum Brightblade, and Joey is playing the general, Tanis Half-Elven."

Seto felt his blood pressure drop. He tried not to fall over but sat upright again. "Is that so? I'll be sure not to mention it." He drank some water, hoping his hand wasn't noticeably shaking.

Joey would be in the building, probably for the next year.

It couldn't matter. Why should it matter? Part of his past was interacting with his present. His former lover and his wi-

He coughed, choking on his water. "Did you say you were playing Jounouchi's wife?"

She laughed lightly. "Girlfriend, at this point - and the one he dumps in favor of Kitiara, no less. I've never heard of the actress playing her, Yomichi Kimi."

"But you and Jounouchi -"

"Will never even have a pretend kiss," she snickered, all but reading his mind. "As if he could steal me from you."

"You don't know Jounouchi; he could seduce the Virgin Mary."

"I know he's dating Duke! I really don't think I'm his type."

"Jounouchi only type is with a pulse. I've seen the men and women he has entertained in the past. You are easily within his strike zone."

"But he's not within mine." Seto laughed outright. "He's not!" she protested. "I like tall, dark, handsome men. If you were going to worry about anyone, Duke is the one you should look out for."

Seto took hold of himself. Joy wasn't the type of woman prone to affairs. Jounouchi wasn't the type of man to prey on a married man. A married person.

Married was a deal breaker for Jounouchi. Marriage was what broke their 'deal' - Jounouchi wouldn't settle for less, Seto couldn't allow as much.

'We cannot wed legally,' Seto had argued. 'You will never be my spouse, only ever my companion.' Seto would have been content with just their private commitment. Jounouchi needed a public acknowledgement. Jounouchi wanted the world to know about their love. Seto thought it was none of the world's business.

Then Jounouchi's father called about a New York internship. His lover had given him an ultimatum: married in Japan, or available in NYC. Seto reacted predictably, and Joey left. If he hadn't met Joey at that party….

Joy. Seto met Joy at a party. She looked like Joey, she sounded like Joey, in fact until he saw her name in print he thought her name was Joey. But this was not Joey, and Joy he could marry. They could wed, and produce an heir, and Joey would be one of those things you forget.

"Seto?" Joy's voice was strident.

"What?" He looked around, alert for the problem. "What's wrong?"

"You! You just zoned out while I was talking. Are you ok?"

"Ah. Yes. Fine. I just ..." He took a deep breath and cleared away the past. "Too much excitement." He squeezed her hand and signaled the waiter. "Let's go home. I'm sure Serenity will want to hear all about the show."

"Who?"

"Your sister -" he realized his mistake and smirked at himself. "Candice. Candice will want to know."

"I completely forgot to tell her!"

Joy began texting as Seto paid the check, suddenly aware of all the signs he'd ignored over the years.

She was a mutt - Japanese mother, American father. She had a younger sister, her father was an alcoholic. Her American family lived in Brooklyn, NY. She was world-smart, but in school had been in the lower class ranks. She spoke her mind and was led by her heart. He helped her build a deck, and she chose all luck-based cards.

Joy was as close to Joey as possible without actual cloning technology and interference from divine entities. Presuming this isn't some chaotic gift from Set. Or Ra. Joy did seem more like a creation of his.

xoxoxoxox

The elevator doors opened, and Seto entered the animation studio. Desks and drawing tables were clustered together, in little star-like circles. Each had a video screen visible to the group. One wall was all windowed offices, two filled with teams brainstorming ideas.

The opposite wall was solid with a single door and a sign labeled 'sound studio'.

Inside were several smaller rooms with actors rehearsing lines - among them Duke. Seto nodded, but proceeded forward to the sound booth. There, the direction staff and several techs, were all silent. On the other side of a plexiglass wall Joy, Joey, and two others were reading the script. A video of an animated group of adventures played where everyone could see it.

'Tanis!'

'Go home, Laurana! This is no journey for a silly child.'

'But Tanis -'

'Go, princess! I don't need you!'

"And cut! Good work, people."

All of the crew began talking. Seto was shocked to realize that Joy was actually crying.

"Shachou!" The director bowed. "Everyone, attention. This gentleman is the KaibaCorp owner, Kaiba Seto. Call him Shachou or Boss."

"I thought Mokuba was boss," someone commented in English.

"I am Mokuba's boss," Seto responded. "But this is his project, so you won't deal with me often."

"Quit lyin', moneybags," Joey said over mic." Seto looked at him. The actor's tone was light but his expression was strained. "You'll be here everyday."

"Seto," Joy hugged him briefly. Seto saw the raised eyebrows.

"Don't be ridiculous. My wife will get no special treatment from me. Director, if this talentless hag becomes too much trouble you have my permission to throw her out."

"Oh no, no, sir! Joy-chan is a natural! She can cry on cue."

"No," Joy laughed, embarrassed, "I always cry at that scene."

"Director, we need to start the next section."

"Oh, yes! Excuse us, Shachou. Joy-chan?"

"Yes, of course." She smiled at Seto, gave him an affectionate squeeze, and went back into the booth.

Seto looked up to find Joey beside him.

"If you're not in this, out," the director shouted. "Alright, I want some energy in this scene…."

Seto and Joey both exited the sound booth. Joey entered an empty rehearsal room and Seto followed him. They looked at each other, silent for a few minutes.

"She's kinda young, ain't she," Joey said finally, looking away. "What time does she gotta be home on school nights?"

"She is younger than I, yes."

"You? She's younger that Mokuba! Is she even legal?"

"As a point of fact, we married on her twentieth birthday, January 25th." Seto froze, suddenly realizing why that date had been so easy to remember.

"You are a fucking asshole," Joey hissed. "Why the fuck -"

"OH!" Joy gasped. "I - sorry - I was looking for you - for you both, and -"

Joey glanced between the spouses. "She doesn't know, does she?"

"No," Seto admitted, looking away.

Joey shook his head. "Yeah. Figures. I'm gonna have to pass on that dinner invitation tonight, Joy. Ask your one and only, always and forever. He can tell you why." The actor stalked out of the room.

"What was that?" Joy was bewildered. "What did - no, wait. We're going home. I have a feeling this is a private conversation."

xoxoxoxox

He told her everything. Gozaburo's death. The legal battle for custody of Mokuba. High school and the Pharaoh. College. He told her when he realized that he'd fallen in love with a boy, how he could never have a relationship with a male, and how he dated a man.

And how he lost him.

"....and actually had the gall to imply that I was inbred, part of me was livid. But another part was amused, because of all the insults he hurled at me, he never thought to compare me to a show breed. You are the only one to do that."

"So you dated me because I came up with a new insult?"

"I dated you because I realized that I was in danger of being a fool twice over. You shared some traits with Jounouchi, yes. You are both my 'type'. I imagine that anyone I dated would resemble you both. I recall your previous paramour resembling me."

"True. But Hinaro wasn't your clone. I mean, you're both tall, you have dark hair, and you're both older. After that, you're nothing alike. Seto, how do you know it's me you love and not just Joey's memory?"

"Does my answer change your affection for me?" Seto countered. "Is there an answer that would forever lay your fears to rest?" He shook his head. "It is irrelevant at any rate. Jounouchi has no remaining affection for me."

"Joey said you were his one and only, always and forever."

"What?"

"Joey, Kimi, and I are playing a love triangle, so the director asked us to discuss love. Joey said that he found his one and only true love, in college, and would love him always and forever. I said I was currently married to mine. I thought he was going to cry, but I didn't know we were both talking about you! Oh, he must think I'm horrible."

Seto tried to ignore his heart pounding in triple time. "Jounouchi knows me well enough to know you are completely innocent."

"If things were reversed, I'd hate him. I'd want to at least."

"I should think your anger would be addressed to me."

"Anger, yes, but I could never hate you."

"The difference between you, then. Jounouchi has never had any difficulty hating me.

xoxoxoxox

**Author's Note:**

> So this is as much as I have written because I'm stuck in block city. If you would like to see more just comment with who you would like to see Seto ultimately with: Joey, Joy, or Both. As soon as one of them has 31 votes, I'll write chapter 2. (Also let me know if you want to see anyone else in this!)


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